Snow elf

Greyhawk Creature

Snow elf
Snow Elves, Dragon Magazine 155#, 1990, by Jamie Lambardo
General information
Alignment:	Neutral
Type:	Humanoid
Subtype:	Elf
First appearance:	"Into the Frost and Snow", Dragon #155, 1990

Snow elves are a subtype of elves who live in the extreme arctic regions of Crystalmists in the Flanaess.

Ecology

Environment

They live in the snowy peaks of the Crystal mists, and perhaps can be found in other such places, but strangely not in the snowy plains of Blackmoor or the lands of Black Ice.

Typical physical characteristics

Snow Elves are very thin and wiry, but surprisingly tough and even more shockingly tall, typically reaching 7ft. The typical snow elf has light brown or tan skin, white or pale blond hair, and silver eyes. They prefer wearing only white materials, including jewelry made from bone or silver traded from valley elves. They have surprisingly short lifespans, for elves, only living around 750 to 900 years making them the shortest-lived elves in the Flanaess. Most other elves, except Valley elves, look down on snow elves for this reason, seeing them as little better than humans with a misplaced sense of pride. It is true that snow elves are incredibly haughty, treating most other races, even other elves as completely beneath them. They have trained hoar foxes and bears for pets and guards.

Society

Living in small clans of up to 30 members, in small villages of huts shaped from woven trees and furs, Snow elves are extremely territorial, controlling areas of up to 60 square miles for large 30 member clans or 20 square miles for smaller 10 member clans. Male snow elves prefer becoming fighters, rangers or thieves, while female snow elves favour magic users. Druids are drawn from both sexes. Mixed classes are uncommon. Snow elves dislike working metal, due to their dislike of fire, and avoid wearing metal due to their cold environment. They instead prefer furs, leathers and hide- even that of white dragons if they succeed in obtaining any. They've succeeded in making dragonhide armour that is as flexible as elven chain, although only 7th level and higher druids among the snow elves now how to make such armour. This is given to respected individuals among the snow elves and occasionally gifted to valley elves (who in turn provide the snow elves with any worked metal they need).

Snow elves use a musical instrument called Keras, which are similar to alpenhorns. These long horns, (4ft-20ft) made from wood or mammoth tusk, are used to communicate across long distances in complex codes or play out of festivals and holy days. Clans will not hesitate to aid each other, especially in helping fight against non-snow elves, and will often gather in spring and autumn for festivals and holy days. While a snow elf would never turn away or ignore another of their kind in need, many times the troubled snow elf will be too proud to ask for help.

Relationships

They get along well enough with valley elves, but go into a berserk rage at the sight of drow to the point of having no self-preservation.

Religion

Much of their worship is Druidic, focused on shrines built upon places of power (where the boundaries between the material plane and elemental planes of ice, air or earth are thin), but many of these shrines are dedicated to Tarsellis Meunniduin, the lesser elven god of mountains and wilderness, of whom the snow elves consider themselves the direct descendants of. Rellavar Danuvien, the Seldarine god of frost and snow, also sees worship from many Snow elves.

History

The rift between Snow elves and other elves is based in history when the Snow Elf clans allowed the drow to escape through their territories in return for a price. The snow elves of the time claimed not to know how far the drow had fallen in their demon worship, but this event is still seen as a gross betrayal by other elves. This, combined with general elven attitudes, led to cold and distant relations with other elves. Valley elves, the other shunned elven race and neighbours, and Snow elves better tolerate each other through their shared position of elven outcasts. Snow elves don't tend to have a good relationship with non-elven races either, especially humans, as Snow elves are wont to raid and attack them. Many snow elves prefer arcane arts to cleric ones, but druids and rangers are highly valued.

Appearances

Living Greyhawk

Snow elves were available to play in Living Greyhawk providing the player had a reward card (Set 1, Card 1: Ice Cities of the Crystalmist) which instead referenced the snow elves found in Frostburn:

Ice Cities of the Crystalmists | Creation

“Our race is like that of a snowflake, we are a myriad of personalities and mysteries.”
—Lathian Frostdrift, snow elf scribe

Explorers into the farthest reaches of the ice sometimes return with stories of magnificent ice cities built atop remote mountaintops that are inhabited by snow elves, folk with eyes as white as snow and hair that coils like fragile wisps of cloud. The snow elves are similar to their brethren, but are hardier, due to living in harsher conditions.
Benefit: You may take the Crystalmist Mountains as your home region. You cannot change your home region. This card unlocks the snow elf subrace from Frostburn. Snow elves are similar to high elves (the standard elven race in the Player’s Handbook), but their ability modifiers are +2 Dexterity and -2 Charisma, instead of the normal elven modifiers.

References

Bibliography

• Reimer, David. Dragon #155. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, Mar 1990.

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

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